posted
So I had a tilt table test a while back, and it was negative. However, also many months ago, I have had a doctor that said I had postural orthostatic hypertension (not hypo) while I was in his office.
My heart symptoms were bothering me quite a bit recently. It feels better today, however, I decided to check my heart rate today with my Grandma's fancy medical equipment.
Lying down, pulse was 85 bpm. Upon standing it rapidly increases to roughly 135 bpm, and if I change positions it can get even higher. At one point it read 180, and I think that may have been a calibration error. However, when I was at my sickest, I would get heart rates that high, so I'm wondering if my heart rate is really going that high and I just don't feel it. I didn't feel light-headed or dizzy (as I don't get hypotension like I said), and I physically don't notice this palpitation. It was hovering around 110 when standing, and when lying in a good position, back to the mid 80s. Body position makes all the difference in heart rate.
I used my mom as a control, and her heart rate doesn't go nuts like mine.
During the day I find myself putting my feet up, slouching in chairs, etc to relieve the tightness in my chest.
So obviously something is wrong. My cardiologist tells me I was fine. He told me my stress echo was normal when walking brought my heart to 200 bpm and I didn't recover to a resting heart rate during the whole echo.
He did give me beta blockers, and I stopped taking them recently because my blood pressure and pulse is now fine according to a blood pressure cuff. I am wondering if beta blockers will control these erratic POTS type heart rates.
I've had a lot of testing through the same cardiologist. He likes to tell me I'm young and otherwise healthy; whatever that really means. Is it time for a second opinion? I worry more about the chest pain since I don't feel my wacky heart rate for the most part.
Despite some chest pain the other day, I thought my heart symptoms were getting better. Is there anything they will do for a 24 year old besides a beta blocker?
I have had echos, stress echo, holter, 21 day monitor, and tilt table. All hormones and adrenals have been checked. When I was 17 I had a study done at a cath lab when I had heart symptoms from an illness that attacked my liver. My heart recovered and my liver enzymes returned to normal after about a year of this mystery illness. Electrically, everything is good, according to my doctor. We have family history of lots of heart disease and in the back of my mind, I think they are missing something.
[ 06-04-2010, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: kday ]
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- My first thought is that magnesium and calcium can help regulate erratic heart rhythm. d-Ribose and Hawthorn are also excellent supports.
Adrenal dysfunction can also cause heart rhythm blips (from excess cortisol that is from the stress hormones and mucked up by an exhausted adrenal function). I know you said you had tests but there are not enough tests on this earth can can accurately tell us all that is going on.
A lot is trial and success - or trial and try again with some support measures or stopping some things that may be contributing (if we only knew exactly).
This may explain a few things that are going on and offer some suggestions for relief:
posted
I don't know what the illness was that attacked my liver. Enzymes were about 1200.
I'm not sure how to describe the chest pain. It just hurts and is uncomfortable with an occasional noticeable arrhythmia. I guess it's more of a squeezing pain. I can't think of a word for it. It's pretty constant and some days very bothersome. Other days it doesn't bother me so much, but I noticed I instinctively do things all the time probably to decrease cardiac load on my heart.
[ 06-05-2010, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: kday ]
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Why did you stop the beta-blocker?? I take atenolol to help control POTS. It has helped some. I still get POT symptoms, but not as often as before the atenolol.
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I stopped because I didn't realize that I had symptoms. I don't feel my heart rate, and quite frankly, I don't feel a benefit from the beta blocker anyway. Perhaps a proper beta blocker will help the mild chest discomfort I get each and every day.
Anyway, I just started the Toprol XL (metoprolol) again last night, but I don't think it's the right medication for my symptoms. It brought my heart rate down today, but it still is orthostatically wacky.
Atenolol and propranolol seem like better drugs. My endocrinologist prescribed me propranalol at one point, and maybe I should take that instead.
That being said, I think my cardiologist is completely unaware that I really do have POTS since the tilt table test was negative many months ago. It's really not hard to diagnose yourself if you have the proper equipment at home. Hell, my heart goes nuts if I just lift my head a bit.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
What was the avg and max heart rate while you had the holter on?
You can try some magnesium, fish oil and CoQ10 and see if that helps at all.
I sometimes get a similar patten with my heart -- sitting pulse around 75-85, while it jumps to 100 or so when standing. I'm going to ask my cardio in a couple of weeks if it means anything & if there is anything we can do for it. I'm already on a beta blocker... that doesn't seem to do much.
Posts: 584 | From NY | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
My average was high, but I don't remember the numbers. It was a lot lower when sleeping. I had a couple different holter monintors with different results. I found at last appointment that my max heart rate was about 180 (Something he never told me until months later!) according to my cardiologist, and I never even felt it or reported it. I don't exercise anymore.
I guess I am going to just see my regular cardiologist. My heart woke me several times last night. I'm not sure what it was doing, but heart symptoms worry me the most. My chest and arms are sore today. Well, the rest of my body is a little sore as well.
I honestly been feeling doomed and a little scared lately because of this. Unfortunately, my anxiety meds won't erase that feeling, nor will anything else. I have just been ignoring it; or atleast trying to.
I have been having really bad rage lately. It seems out of nowhere to people (and it kind of is), but I think it relates to my frustration of my situation.
And I haven't been able to tolerate oral abx (especially doxy and bart meds), and natural isn't easy for me as well. We are going IV real soon since I guess it's better for neuro and neuropsychological stuff; or so they say.
I know my non-pharmaceutical stuff is causing herxing and killing stuff, but lately I feel like I am just sliding further and further backwards. I don't know how I am going to handle Rocephin. I've been doing therapy for PTSD (EMDR) lately, which helps with my fear of being and sleeping alone. However, I think the abx and negative experiences because of them is what caused PTSD in the first place.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Appointment scheduled for tomorrow. Hope I can at least try a new beta blocker or something... need relief from the daily chest pain and discomfort.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
I get this too, sometimes my heart spikes REALLY high. It only lasts a while, but when I move sometimes my heart acts silly.
Supplements and at least 3L of water a day REALLY helps. Also when it starts to happen, I just breath and remind myself it always passes.
I often find my heart racing has to do with my stomach, too. Vitamin D has really helped me in particular.
Sometimes I need to run straight to the toilet after my heart races (sorry for the details)...it may have to do with passing movement in your abdomen. I know it sounds strange, but pressure in our bodies can make our organs act a bit funny.
Keep us posted Posts: 51 | From Australia | Registered: May 2010
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic